This season's race plan... or not

127 triathlons this year, 52 weekends in a year, 2.5 triathlons per weekend.

For the past four years, I’ve kicked off the season with the same race, either a sprint or Olympic distance triathlon over Memorial Day weekend. (Race reports from 2015 and 2014 if you are so inclined.) This year, it looks like I’ll be out of town for that weekend with my husband and a few friends.

I’ve been moderately consistent with my training all winter and spring: Swim, bike and run 1-3 times per week, with supplemental training as I can fit it in. And, this is all without a goal or event to work toward. (Besides generally getting better, of course.)

So… now what?

True to the name of this blog, everything is mediocre right now – swim, bike and run – so I probably shouldn’t be thinking of anything longer than a sprint, Olympic max. I put out a call to our local triathlete Facebook group asking for race suggestions, and got a ton. Just from those suggestions, I could race every weekend (at least once!) from June through September. Finding a race to do isn’t the problem.

The question is: Do I do a bunch of sprint and Olympic races and try to have fun? Do I try to build my speed in all three sports and actually race? Do I build my bike and run training again to take another shot at the 70.3 distance? Do I take the summer off, eat ice cream every day, and put on a bunch of weight? The possibilities are endless!

Skipping my usual race lineup may actually end up being a good thing. I’ve gotten into a groove these last couple of years, doing the same races over and over again, trying to improve my time. Maybe this will inspire me to do races I might not have tried otherwise. I may end up finding a new favorite.

When it comes down to it, I think I do need at least a few races on the calendar. I’ve always been a pretty internally motivated person, so I don’t necessarily need a goal race to get me to train. But, it would be nice to have something to show for these last few months’ worth of hard work, even if it is a 50-cent medal.

Do you do the same races every year, or do you try to shake it up? I thrive on doing the same, usually boring routines every day, week, month and year.